In a show of support, five members of Congress from San Diego and Imperial Counties signed a letter on Thursday supporting an Inyokern-led effort to secure a unmanned aircraft systems test site designation from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The information began with a release from a tweet from a California state senator.

“Congrats to @CaliforniaUAS! (The) Entire San Diego/Imperial County House delegation signed a support letter for official FAA UAS/UAV test site,” Sen. Jean Fuller (R — Bakersfield) said via Twitter on Thursday.

Representatives Darrell Issa, Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, Susan Davis and Duncan Hunter announced their support of Cal UAS and its partners in Inyokern in a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and James Williams, the FAA manager for UAS flight standards.

“San Diego is a center of aerospace technology, and the region meets and/or exceeds the criteria put forth by the FAA for a UAS/UAV test site,” the joint letter states.

The five federal lawmakers stated that the area that Cal UAS Portal has mapped out as its proposed range of operations “spans a diverse geography and climate conditions, which is vital to compiling a robust body of data to guide decisions on how to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS).” That area includes desert and mountain terrain to maritime environment close to San Diego.

Eileen Shibley, leader of the Cal UAS Portal team, called the support welcome news.

“The Cal UAS Team is so excited about this showing of support from the San Diego and Imperial Counties Representatives,” Shibley said by email Thursday night. “It's a full showing of their support of Cal UAS and is signed by every one of their Congressional Representatives.”

Shibley said that in addition to the Congressional support, Cal UAS has also received the support of the San Diego Lindbergh Chapter of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The AUVSI is the world’s largest organization advocating and advancing the commercial use of unmanned systems.

The San Diego-area lawmakers are the latest to throw their support behind Cal UAS and its partners. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R — Bakersfield) has long backed Inyokern, as have Fuller and Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R — Bakersfield).

Cal UAS Portal is only one in 25 potential teams in 24 states vying for one of six test site designations that the FAA will name by December.

The test sites is an initial step in the FAA's directive to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace by the end of 2015, a task handed down to them by Congress in 2012. A test site designation would reduce the onerous requirements the FAA places on operating unmanned systems.

Page 2 of 2 - San Diego a pivotal partner

While Inyokern Airport will be the hub of the Cal UAS Portal initiative — especially given its proximity to Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake and access to one of the largest restricted airspace areas in the nation — its partners in San Diego will play a key part, according to that region's federal representatives.

“The San Diego region is home to one of the most active UAS/UAV industries in the United States,” the Congressmembers state in their joint letter. “Two of the largest manufacturers of UAS in the world are headquartered in the region, supported by many other companies in the supply chain.”

The letter also indicates that small businesses catering to UAVs are thriving in the area, and posses similar infrastructure and human capital to make a test site designation successful — including universities.

“Partnerships with academia are important to FAA's ability to gather all the technical data needed,” the letter states. “Our six major universities in the San Diego region are already taking steps to ensure they are providing the necessary research and education for the industry to thrive.”

The letter goes on to cite the economic development the industry provided the San Diego region in recent years

“A recent study by the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce found that the UAS/UAV industries accounted for $1.3 billion of activity and 7,200 jobs in the region in 2011,” the letter states. “By 2019, the activity will exceed $12 billion.”

The impact falls in line with a report released by AUVSI earlier in 2013, which cites full integration of UAVs into manned airspace by 2015 will lead to an explosion of economic opportunities and jobs over 10 years. AUVSI estimates that the burgeoning industry will create more than 74,000 jobs and generate $13.6 billion nationwide — if full integration is done in time.

In past interviews, Shibley, the Cal UAS Portal leader, has said the UAVs used in commercial applications would be different from those used by the military for decades. The potential could be limitless, especially in agriculture and fire suppression and prevention.

A test site at Inyokern, she has said, would be a key part in making that future happen. The San Diego area lawmakers agreed with that idea, especially where their region comes into play.

“No doubt, the Indian Wells Valley Airport District proposal offers the expertise, experience, and innovation of the people and institutions of San Diego,” the five Congressmembers stated in their letter.